ProPublica report accuses Centene subsidiary of trapping clients in 'ghost networks'

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - A new report contends health insurance providers are misleading Americans about how many doctors they really have access to.

It's called a "ghost network" which are provider directories that aren't up to date.

"When you call different providers, there is inaccurate information whether the phone number is wrong, it's disconnected or the provider is no longer seeing patients," said ProPublica Reporter Max Blau on ' Total Information A.M.'.

Blau says it's happening across the industry. His report looked at a subsidiary of St. Louis-based company Centene.

"Insurance companies have very sophisticated systems that allow them to know how much exactly they are paying out in claims, how to code medical procedures, and have the ability to know every single detail around those sort of decisions." said Blau. "In the case of provided directories, they don't have the same diligent approach."

Blau says health care providers claim that even when they've told insurance companies they're moving out of the network, or no longer taking new patients, it can take months for that information to be updated for policy holders.

Blau says the bottom line is that insurance companies can keep track of costs so should have systems to track provider availability. And state and federal laws put the onus on the health plans to provide this information to consumers.

Centene did not respond to his requests nor a KMOX request for comment.